Conference Concepts & Theme
CONFERENCE CONCEPT & THEME
The main theme of the Congress is “Nutrition Security for All.” The Congress will address
nutrition as an integrative science, linking with other disciplines such as biomedical and life sciences,
food and agriculture and social and behavioral sciences to engage and advance evidence-guided
policies and programs within comprehensive food and health delivery systems.
The theme of the Congress will be addressed through 13 sub-themes broadly representing proximal
determinants and ecological, social and cultural determinants of nutrition security for all populations.
Proposed Keynote Topic:
Addressing Nutrition and Health Challenges for the 21st Century
Proposed Plenary Topics:
Plenary I: Global Efforts Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
Nutrition Well-being; Agriculture, Food Supply Systems and Trade for Nutrition
Security
Plenary II: Molecular Genetics, Environment, and Diet-related Diseases
Plenary III: Global Partnerships for Combating Obesity and Chronic Diseases
Plenary IV: Nutrition, Lifestyle and Cancer
Plenary V: Nutrition as a Sound Investment for Human Capital
The Cascade Feature:
ICN 2009 will feature the ‘Cascades’ of the sub-themes below by grouping the related topics
together and by encouraging the flow of scientific knowledge to its application.
Cascade I: Scientific-based knowledge and model in nutrition science and food-
based strategies
(a) Nutrient Requirements & Metabolism - physiological functions, nutrient metabolism,
and new findings related to establishing human nutrient requirements that can advance evidence
-based development of dietary recommendations for optimal health and longevity.
Symposia Topics:
a.1 Lipids & Fatty Acids
a.2 Protein & Amino-acids
a.3 Carbohydrates
a.4 Energy
a.5 Micronutrients
a.6
Bioactive Ingredients in Foods
(b) Nutritional Assessment - anthropometric, biochemical, body composition, functional,
-omics and dietary approaches to measure and monitor nutritional status, diet, health and well-being.
Symposia Topics:
b.1 Novel Approaches in Dietary Assessment
b.2 Bio-markers: Individual vs. Population
b.3 Recent Innovations in Body Composition Assessment
b.4 Fetal and Child Growth References/Standards
b.5 Isotopic Techniques
b.6 Novel Techniques for Field Use
b.7 Nutrition Monitoring & Evaluation
(c) Clinical Nutrition – appropriate diet and environmental factors for prevention and
management of nutrition-related diseases
Symposia Topics:
c.1 Nutrition Assessment of Hospitalized Patients
c.2 Novel Lipids
c.3 Nutrition Management of Diabetes
c.4 Enteral Nutrition
c.5 Parenteral Nutrition
(d) Food-based Strategies/Interventions for Optimal Nutrition – scientific knowledge
on what works, where, how, among whom and for what outcomes.
Symposia Topics:
d.1 Infant and Young Child Nutrition (breast feeding, complementary foods etc)
d.2 Food Fortification for Optimal Nutrition
d.3 Dietary Diversification/Modification
d.4 School Nutrition
d.5 Elderly Nutrition
d.6 Nutrition in Emergency
Cascade II: Integrating agriculture, food systems, indigenous cuisines and diet quality
(e) Agriculture and Food Systems – technology, innovation, and integrated approaches to
achieve nutrition security and global health
Symposia Topics:
e.1 Biotechnology
e.2 Biofortification for better foods
e.3 Integrated Farming for Food and Nutrition Security
e.4 Food Safety / Food Borne Diseases
e.5 Food Processing for Improved Nutrition
e.6 Food Composition and Biodiversity
e.7 Cropping, Food Transport, and Assistance Policy during Food Insecurity
(f) Food Cultures, Cuisines, & Indigenous Diets - their distinctive historical and evolving
roles in influencing nutrition security and health.
Symposia Topics:
f.1 Asian Diet (including spices, condiments and herbs in Asian Diet)
f.2 Mediterranean
f.3 Halal
f.4 Vegetarians & Vegans
f.5 Street Foods
f.6 Indigenous Diets in Transition
(g) Right to Adequate Food – addressing food security (quantity and quality) for nutrition
well-being in various settings and vulnerable population
Symposia Topics:
g.1 Right to Food and Nutrition
g.2 Food Trade & Subsidies (role of stakeholders & private Sector)
g.3 Nutritional Benefit-Risk Assessment of Foods and Food Consumption Patterns
g.4 Increasing Food Costs, Food Aid and Malnutrition
g.4 Bioversity
g.5 Protecting the Right of Children and Women for Breastfeeding
Cascade III: Application of Cascades I and II into problem-based solving,
prevention and promotion
(h) Nutrition and the Triple “I”: Infection, Immunity, Inflammation - review recent
evidence relating to the role of nutrition in treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, diarrhea, malaria,
respiratory infection (pneumonia, tuberculosis, SARS, bird flu), allergy and autoimmune diseases.
Symposia Topics:
h.1 HIV/AIDS
h.2 Diarrhea
h.3 Malaria
h.4 Respiratory Infection – Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, SARS, Bird flu
h.5 Allergy
h.6 Autoimmune Diseases
h.7 Gut Dynamics
h.8 Parasitic Infestations
(i) Obesity and Nutrition-related Chronic Diseases - providing a comprehensive
examination of risk factors, health consequences, management and treatment; exploring policies
and promising programs that can advance prevention and health promotion.
Symposia Topics:
i.1 Obesity
i.2 Metabolic Syndrome
i.3 Diabetes
i.4 Cardiovascular Diseases
i.5 Hypertension
i.6 Cancer
i.7 Osteoporosis
(j) Nutrition Throughout the Life Course – integrated strategies emphasizing the linkages
between under and over nutrition, and how to address the problem of double burden throughout
the life course.
Symposia Topics:
j.1 Double Burden of Malnutrition
j.2 Micronutrient Deficiencies and their Prevention
j.3 Growth & Development
j.4 Nutrition and neural/brain function
j.5 Nutrition and Human Capital Development
j.6 Developmental nutritional exposures that may affect health across the life cycle
k) Evidence-based Policies & Programs to Address the Global Health and Nutrition
Goals – highlighting national and regional program experiences and capacity development.
Symposia Topics:
k.1 Country Efforts towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
k.2 Country Experiences to resolve Food Insecurity
k.3 Regional Highlights – Food and Nutrition for Better Health by Sub-regions
(Asia, Africa, Latin America, etc.)
k.4 Capacity Building in Food and Nutrition Revisited (Institution, Program, Policy
Levels)
k.5 Global Strategy on Diet Physical Activity and Health
k.6 Marketing of Foods and Drinks to Children
k.7 Community-based Interventions
(l) Food & Nutrition Interventions for Health - current knowledge of different interventions
that support health outcomes.
Symposia Topics:
l.1 Nutrition, Physical Activity
l.2 Nutrition Education/Communication and Behavioral Changes
l.3 Food Based Dietary Guidelines
l.4 Food Regulation (Labeling & Claim)
l.5 Rational Use of Dietary Supplements by the Public
l.6 Nutrient Supplementation (single, multiple combinations)
Cross-Cutting Cascades I,II and III
(m) Frontiers in Nutrition Research (across the spectrum of nutrition research)
- cutting-across determinants of nutrition security and health at individual and population levels to
pioneering research that informs and guide progress towards achieving nutrition security while
enhancing our understanding of the important role that nutrition plays in public health..
Symposia Topics:
m.1 Nutritional Advances in Omics (ie, Nutrigenomics, epigenetics, proteomics, etc)
m.2 Nanotechnology
m.3 “Nutrition Delivery Science”: Challenges in Applying What We Know
m.4 Meta-analysis on the Effects of Nutrition Intervention: Uses and Misuses
m.5 Gene Polymorphisms in Determining the Response to Foods and m Components
m.6 The Human Microbiome and Its relevance to Human Health